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NBA Picks

NBA Picks: No Hope for Pelicans Tonight Against Warriors Unstoppable Force in Game 3

The Golden State Warriors continue to roll on in the NBA Playoffs, up 2-0 on the Pelicans and in prime position to go up 3-0 on Thursday. Here's our preview, complete with NBA picks.

Golden State Warriors Rolling
The Golden State Warriors are off to a furious start to their postseason campaign, winning back-to-back home games at the expense of the hapless New Orleans Pelicans quite convincingly. They opened with a 106-99 win on Saturday. Then extended their edge behind a 97-87 win on Monday. Only against the spread have the Warriors faltered, failing to cover their last five games including those in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

As the Warriors prepare to take on the Pelicans in New Orleans, odds makers set them as the solid road favourites on the NBA odds board, matched at -220 to win outright. They are also matched as the 5-point road faves.

Overall, the Warriors finished the season with a 67-15 SU record, which included a remarkable 39-2 record at home and a solid 28-13 record on the road. Going into game 3, they are 47-36-0 ATS, which includes a 21-20-0 ATS record on the road and 17-14-0 ATS record as the away favourite, highlighted by an 8.4-point margin of victory.

New Orleans Pelicans Struggle To Make An Impression
The New Orleans Pelicans are staring down the barrel of elimination in the NBA Playoffs. They are down 0-2 and in real danger of going down 0-3 by the end of Thursday's round of NBA betting. Indeed, few NBA bettors are putting down good money on the home win.

The Pelicans are matched at +180 NBA odds to win outright and they are trading as the 5-point home dogs. Obviously, the NBA betting market is a reflection of the current status of the series. It's also an assessment of just how slim their chances are against one of the postseason favourites to win it all.

The Warriors simply have more depth and quality than the Pelicans do. Nowhere was it more apparent than in game 2 when the Warriors, after surprisingly falling behind in the first quarter 28-17, rallied to re-establish order and then went on to win the game.

In the opening game, the Pelicans showed heart and fight back when they rallied from a huge deficit. But even though they gave it their all, threw the kitchen sink at the Warriors so to speak, they still didn't have enough quality to beat them. That's the tale of this series in a nutshell. The Pelicans went25-16-0 ATS at home with a 4.1-point margin of victory. On the plus side, they went 11-2-0 ATS as home underdogs this season with a 1.8-point margin of victory.

NBA Betting Verdict:
The Pelicans are going to have to hope the Warriors have an off day on the road in game 3. It's possible to a certain extent as the Warriors were just 28-13 SU on the road. However, this is the NBA Playoffs, a whole different ball game and regular season form is a moot point to a certain extent.

The Warriors are rolling into New Orleans with a verve and swagger after winning both games under testy circumstances. They'll be looking to continue on that rich vein of form with another win and, more likely than not, they'll come through for NBA bettors as the hot -220 NBA betting favourites.

Where the Pelicans might fancy their chances is against the spread. They repeatedly defied the NBA odds during the regular season. What's more, there is going to be a sense of urgency about this game as the Pelicans try to avoid falling to a third straight loss to the Warriors. Certainly, they'll try to keep it close to the Warriors, but five points does seem a tad low. Hence, the Warriors emerge as our choice NBA pick to cover as the 5-point road chalk.